#barber brothers fraternity | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

maybe-your-left · 2 years ago

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I posted 4,000 times in 2022

237 posts created (6%)

3,763 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@daydreamsofren

@kylosolo

@tashastrange89

@skyyguy

I tagged 258 of my posts in 2022

#adam driver - 125 posts

#kylo ren - 90 posts

#adamdriver - 77 posts

#my writing - 33 posts

#kylo ren x reader - 31 posts

#ben solo - 29 posts

#modern kylo ren - 27 posts

#kylo ren x female reader - 25 posts

#daddy kylo ren - 15 posts

#charlie barber - 15 posts

Longest Tag: 75 characters

#tells you to stay still on the sofa and turns on some of your favorite show

My Top Posts in 2022:

Bed Bug - Part 2 of 3

slut shaming but also slut praising?

Enjoy Part 1 before reading!

“I can’t believe him, he didn’t even respond to my texts last night! It's so rude of him-typical man baby.”

“Yeah.”

“Like when someone texts you, it’s common courtesy to answer them! Especially if they're upset! It's just childish-really.”

“Uh-huh,” you sighed again, brushing through your hair with your fingers. Over and over again in the mirror, while you stared blankly at your reflection.

Your lips hadn’t felt the same since you’d kissed him, tingled even, you’d already looked up the symptoms for multiple communicable diseases. Since it was apparent he got around, but none of the things you felt were them…

Kylo Ren had kissed you.

And it wasn’t a sweet soft kiss either, it was bone-rattling, disgusting, wet, and sloppy with his full force behind it.

And now, you listened to his ex or whatever she was complaining about him not approaching her at all since you left the frat house. She wasn’t even suspicious of you when you gave her the news that he read the message!

And didn’t blink twice when Kaydel arrived looking disheveled as hell, she had marks on her neck that resembled an animal attack.

You watched her slink through the common rooms with a limp that you could only assume was from blunt force trauma.

Given what he was packing that morning…

You shook your head, no.

He was bad news.

It was a one-time thing-a fluke! He had plenty of other girls to run through and you made a firm choice that you wouldn’t be one of them.

You quickly got dressed for the Sunday meeting of the greek council, everyone in greek life was required to attend if they were in a leadership seat.

And you were, handpicked by the club president to represent your pledge class out of 20 other girls who joined. You were flattered-and it meant you could hang out with the upperclassmen. Connections blooming between generations of bigs and littles, you had to look your best.

You were representing a group of girls who depended on you, even if you didn’t say much at meetings.

You got dressed in your pink and white gingham, house colors, and slipped on your heels. Smearing on some gloss before heading downstairs. You waved goodbye to your friends and stopped at the doorway where Bazine and Kaydel were waiting.

Kaydel looked stressed as all hell, wearing a turtleneck in the fall heat. Bazine in a frilly polka dot mess that made your eyes hurt just looking at it, they looked you over.

“That’s cute,” Kaydel gestured to the dress.

Bazine rolled her eyes, “In a picnic table sort of way… Let’s go, I need to talk to Kylo before we start.”

You gulped, Kylo would be there.

Expecting a… hug.

————

“Come on,” Bazine dragged you by the wrist, “I want a seat up front.”

You bobbed and weaved through the multiple groups of sororities and fraternities, grabbing your nametag at the check-in table. Everyone dressed in their Sunday best, you waved a hand over at your friends who pledged with other clubs. Rose with her older sister Paige sitting with Red One, and Phasma with the Imperials, older clubs. You quickly followed Bazine and Kaydel as you found your table.

Draped with signs from your upcoming charity pancake event, with the First Order brothers, and a few refreshments from the school.

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104 notes - Posted August 3, 2022

Could you write a piece on Frat boy Kylo/ Fuck boy Kylo. Like y/n is in a sorority but she’s a quite girl so Kylo see’s here as a conquest. But falls for her

wrote this while listening to this song on repeat, I hope you enjoy it.

also, no taglist because no one interacts anyway!

I made a little sign for it because I felt like it needed some cover art :)

ALSO ALSO, we are sorority girls (sisters) and sororities have paired fraternities (brothers) so the First Order is our brother frat. AND, Xi is pronounced ‘Z’ in the Greek alphabet and is the nickname of our sorority we are in. which is called the Xi Wings (like x-wings but not).

The house is a mess.

Walk through the front door, that's held on by barely three screws and smearing in maybe... eggs? Greeted by a dark brown leather couch that has someone slumped in it, maybe sleeping off a hangover? A blue bucket by their head in case of emergency, god knows you wouldn't use the bathroom here.

Leftover gym equipment is scattered around a faded green pong table, with leftover cups that were filled with beer maybe 12 hours ago. Pong balls litter the floor, crunching under your shoes as you walk on the equally crunchy flooring.

A hallway comes next, narrow and without a light. Was punched out a few weeks ago during a fight that resulted in the faded bulb shattering someone's fist. Fluorescent lights blind your vision while you enter the next rooms, the kitchen, and the back living area. Where someone has dragged the backseat of a minivan’s chairs into the middle of the floor, faded and green with stains and other items that make you want to gag.

The stove is cracked in the front.

The counters are sticky and smell like someone spilled Malibu rum all over the glasses, and a stray glass of orange juice sits precariously by the edge of the sink. And also a jack o’ lantern, that someone took a bite out of?

You huffed a sigh and stepped over the glass on the linoleum before peering over the crowded kitchen island. Spying more bodies scattered on the floor of the back living area. String lights strobing over the darkened windows, covered in the fraternities flags, to keep people from peering in on them, apparently.

One-two-three…

“Hey,” you cleared your throat, holding tight to the strap of your shoulder bag, “Hey, guys?”

A chorus of groans responded to you, along with two of the three lumps moving under blankets or jackets. The beanbag occupant rolled so you could see their face, green eyes. Not who you were looking for.

“What,” a burp, you could smell it from where you stood, “What the fuck, Xi”

You purse your lips, looking around the rest of the kitchen instead of answering. You were just doing your job-checking on the brothers to see if they were breathing… and didn’t do too much damage to the house. It was essential recruitment 101, you were the newest so you had to do the dirty work for monitoring the brother fraternity.

“I-I was just checking on you guys, Bazine t-told me I had to follow up with the president?”

Another groan, green eyes rubbing his face with a suspiciously dirty-looking hand. You stepped back into the crunchy kitchen, “Sorry-I just let myself in…I can come check later?”

“Nah,” he shot off the bean bag, launching his hands to his knees before taking a disgusting-wet breath. Your nose scrunched, preparing to watch this man throw up all over himself… how hard did these guys party last night?

“Sorry,” green eyes stood up, running a hand through his short, curly hair, “I’m not mad, just seems early for one of the checks. Are you new?”

You popped your lips, arms crossed over your chest. Wounded, only a little, maybe, he didn’t recognize you? After rush and pledge week, you’d been around him dozens of times, and introduced yourself to him, albeit that was when he was drunk… You smiled, raising your hand to move on and try and make a better impression, “Yes,” regretting putting your hand out when he took it with his gross one.

“Kuruk,” he pointed to his chest.

You feigned a smile, of course, Kuruk.

“So, you’re looking for our fearless leader?” Kuruk chuckled, stepping past you barefoot on the broken glass. He didn’t even flinch! You spun around and walked around the mess, determined to get this over with and let the president know your message. “He’s probably upstairs in his room, sleeping off a wicked hangover. That guy went too hard,” he laughed again while you followed him throughout the various dirty rooms.

Grabbing items along the way, you cringed as he lit up a glass-blown pipe, smelly weed crumbled in an end. He didn’t hesitate to smoke some right in front of you, thank goodness for him blowing it away from you…

And then walking through it.

You stepped over various obstacles, from a full-grown man to a pile of women’s high heels that must’ve been left here throughout their parties. Softly saying sorry every time your boot hit the edge of someone's shoulders, or squashed that one girl's pinkie…

It felt like you’d been walking forever until you came to the top of the stairs. You were faced with a long hallway littered with trash, and a mirror on the floor for some reason. You followed him right up to the sharpied black front door at the end.

Kuruk turned to you, pausing his raised fist to knock, “Be careful, he has a lizard and it bites.”

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123 notes - Posted July 31, 2022

what goes up must come down - masterlist

Summary: Your phone rang with a photo, grainy and dark. Showing a darkened room with flashing strobe lights and a musty-looking couch, a pair of long legs bent over the edge, black jeans pulled open.

A pair of small hands on top of strong thighs, sucking on the culprit's cock like it held onto all the secrets of the universe...

Too bad it belonged to your boyfriend and future father of your child.

mind the tags: kylo ren x reader, kylo ren x female reader, previous lovers, Slow burn to love, Happily Ever After, Smut, All the Smut, quick smut scenes, kylo is an ass, we are terrible, kylo and reader have a child, child is 6 years old, Nyx Ren original character, Tobacco use, mention of rape, thats why the rape noncon tag is on, but no rape ensues, Getting Back Together, Abandonment, Mention of previous relationships, kylo sleeps with other women, kylo gets a blow job from another woman, but its a flashback, not mentioned in great detail, Kylo is a dad, i love dad kylo ren, hes trying to connect with his child

chapter one

chapter two

chapter three

chapter four

chapter five

chapter six

chapter seven

chapter eight

chapter nine

chapter ten

chapter eleven

chapter twelve

A link to my Mega Masterlist, Kylo Ren Masterlist, and my Random Ren Masterlist for all your stalking needs.

130 notes - Posted March 26, 2022

Will You?

Welcome to the content dump, where I'm clearing out my WIP folder from my YEAR of writing fanfic... so be ready for a bunch of random posts that don't fit together and have no central plot other than me wanting to write a one-shot that was so specific I had to just get it out.

Supreme Leader garbage, order up.

TW/CW: mild NSFW, mention of injury, lite-angst, fluff is there too, this is sappy shit, established relationship, Kylo doesn't enjoy telling people his personal information, female reader insert, swearing.

Here is the Mega Masterlist, the Kylo Ren Masterlist, and the Supreme Leader Masterlist (this is currently my hyperfixation) :)

“Hey…could you come down to the medbay for a little bit? We’re having a situation.”

You sat up in bed, tablet squished between your shoulder and ear. “Yeah what’s going on?”

A sigh, “Look, just come down and I’ll fill you in when you get here.”

Hanging up, you rolled off the bed. Walking to your closet, pushing past all of Kylos robes to find your clothes. You made a mental note to have a droid come down and remove all his stuff. Since you kicked him out yesterday evening, you weren’t expecting him to come back. You threw on some black leggings, boots, and a long-sleeve black shirt. Ruffling your hair so it didn’t look like you had just laid in bed and cried for 14 hours.

When you arrived at the bay everyone was scattered around. Nurses and doctors shuffling patients all over the place. You made it to the front desk, patiently waiting for Kate and Christopher. Your old coworker, and an ex-boyfriend. It had been about 6 months since you ‘resigned’ from working, which was all Kylos doing. He didn’t like you not being available for him 24/7.

Kate turned to you, a thick file in her hands. She looked exhausted, chewing on the inside of her cheek as she looked at you. Chris was no better, glaring at you while he had his arms crossed. Both of them looked very pissed off at you.

“Look,” Kate sighed, rubbing her temples with her free hand, “I’m going to be blunt, and I need you to answer honestly. Are you dating the Supreme Leader?”

Your eyes widened, mouth gaping as you tried to think of a response. Kylo had never called you his girlfriend, he referred to you as his ‘cum bucket’ ‘little girl’ or even the occasional ‘princess’ if he was feeling nice. He definitely didn’t want people knowing he was fucking you daily. Saying that he didn’t want to put you in danger, but he barely gave you affection that wasn’t a ploy to get inside you. You swallowed, crossing your arms defensively, “No. I’m not dating, or have ever dated the Supreme Leader.”

“Okay,” she groaned, “Well I need you to come with us.”

You trailed down the hallway, everyone staring at you as you followed. Mostly faces of pity, and fear, especially the closer you got to the issue. Kate paused in front of the doorway, turning to you again.

“So here’s the issue,” She stared you down, “The Supreme Leader was admitted this morning, after collapsing on the bridge. He was brought in kicking and screaming while bleeding profusely from a wound on his side. He also sustained a significant amount of damage from his fall and a recent combat he returned from yesterday evening.”

You nodded along, waiting to see where you came into this.

Chris cleared his throat, “They also believe he broke his knee, but he won’t let anyone touch him. He’s attacked three medics and keeps ripping out his IV.”

“And,” Kate mumbled, “He also threatened to kill Chris, because ‘he was the reason you dumped him’.”

“When he came in he was begging for someone to go get you, and began to get violent when we told him unless you were his emergency contact we couldn’t involve an ex-medic.”

Suddenly the door slid open, revealing a very angry Kylo Ren. His chest was rising and falling in shallow bursts, face red and sweaty. Blood seeping through his armor, he immediately hissed at the two medics. “If you even so much as touch me I will rip off your limbs one by one-.”

“Kylo Ren!” You shouted, moving around Kate and Chris. Standing directly in front of him, scowling up to his face. “Is that how you fucking talk to people? Hmm?”

His eyes immediately dilated, taking in a short wet breath. Shoulders dropping in defeat, “No.” He wiped his nose, sniffling away small tears that slipped through. “I didn’t think you’d come.”

“Well,” you shrugged, “I didn’t know you were so injured. Now get back in that bed and let them help you.”

Kylos hand reached out, attempting to grab your wrist. But you ripped away from him, walking into the room. Standing directly next to the bed, face neutral as he watched you avoid him.

“Come here,” you growled through your teeth.

He slowly limped over to you, his own face now holding a scowl. Sitting down loudly next to you, his eyes not leaving your face. You looked over at your friends, who were still out in the hallway, “So, we aren’t dating. We never have-.”

Kylo butt in, “Yes we are.”

“No, we aren’t,” you groaned, “You have specifically told me that under no circumstance am I to tell people that we were sleeping together.”

He clicked his tongue, “Well I’m not the one who kicked me out of our shared chambers...”

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144 notes - Posted April 17, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

don’t talk to me i’m thinking about Doctor Ren at a medical conference rn

184 notes - Posted August 31, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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lboogie1906 · 5 months ago

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Alonzo Franklin Herndon (June 26, 1858 - July 21, 1927) was an entrepreneur who founded and was the first president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company. He was born in Walton County, Georgia to Frank Herndon, a white farmer, and Sophenie, his enslaved, He was Atlanta’s wealthiest African American and one of the first Black millionaires in the US.

Freed by the 13th Amendment, he and his mother, younger brother, and maternal grandparents became sharecroppers. He supplemented the family income by working as a day laborer and peddler of peanuts, homemade molasses, and axle grease.

In 1878, he opened his first barbershop. In 1883 he migrated to Atlanta to continue in the barbering business in the largest city in the state. He owned three barber shops in Atlanta, advertising one of them as the largest and best barbershop in the region. His clientele included leading lawyers, judges, politicians, and businessmen. He began to invest in real estate, purchasing more than 100 rental houses, commercial property along Auburn Avenue, and a plantation near Tavares, Florida.

He purchased a failing insurance company, which he incorporated as Atlanta Mutual Insurance Association. He took over a company which had $5,000 in assets in 1905. By 1922 the company had more than $400,000 in assets. He changed the name of the company to Atlanta Life Insurance Company. The Company rapidly expanded, establishing branches in Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. He saved other failing insurance companies by merging their company with Atlanta Life Insurance.

He was a founding member of the National Negro Business League. He was one of the original members of the Niagara Movement. He supported the YMCA, Atlanta University, the First Congregational Church, the Southview Cemetery, and the Atlanta State Savings Bank. He married Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil (1893-1910). They had a son, Norris. He married Jessie Gillespie.

He and Jessie Herndon built the Herndon Home which at the time was one of the largest mansions in Atlanta. The home is registered as a National Historic Place. He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphaphialpha

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manleycollins · 2 years ago

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Journal Entry #72 - The Phone - Alexander Graham Bell, Inventor and Co-Founder of AT&T - Must Did Not Know How Crazy Communication Would Become - And My In-Person and Postal Mail Communications Independence - Who am I talking to?

JOURNAL ENTRY #72 Name: Manley M Collins Social Security Number: 5 7 9 – * * – 6 5 4 1 Date of Birth: 06/21 Place of Birth: Washington, District of Columbia Country of Birth: United States of America Date: July 4, 2022

TOPIC: The Phone - Alexander Graham Bell, Inventor and Co-Founder of AT&T - Must Did Not Know How Crazy Communication Would Become - And My In-Person and Postal Mail Communications Independence - Who am I talking to?

Happy Independence Day to the United States of America!

Schizophrenia and the recognition of my American mental health issues was created solely based on the topic when I shelled out information about a future to people that I did not know what I was talking about. Normally, life would call it a 'lie' or 'alternative truth', but made sure my American life, in English, reap every word of having anything mentioned about my future and losing it very fast with little or no evidence. So now my readers or people now dislike or love me revealing my past and present of what he/she does not expect to see.

Based on my telephone logs and great memory, people wonder who do I talk to if I am not speaking to them specifically. For me, my 792 contact list is 10% of the amount of people I would have had if I had my storage drives and no distractions in putting people in various information systems and backing up various places. I do believe in speaking to humans over artificial intelligence or interactive voice response systems. Those people I spoke over the phone or in-person or video call are as follows:

Brothers of Rho Kappa Lambda of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., police officers and every other type of officer, attorneys, lawyers, teachers, LGBTQIA+ associates/friends, heterosexual friends, families, my paternal family members, my maternal family members, classmates from Cross High School, South Carolina State University, and University of Phoenix, track and field teammates, football players, basketball players, disabled persons, Asian, Indian, European, African, American, French, Italian, Mexicans, Latinos, Brazilians, Jewish, Muslim, drug dealers, gun owners, Beta Delta of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Future Business Leaders of America, Chief Executive Officers, presidents, vice presidents, directors, project managers, program managers, leaders, small business owners, entrepreneurs, barbers, hairstylists, Human Resources managers, my co-workers, supervisors, and managers from every position on my resume, security officers, librarians, administrative assistants, doctors, nurses, case workers, mental health professionals, resource officers, principals, assistant principals, military - army, navy, marines, coast guard, air force, government officials, government employees, government contractors, the courts, judges, custodians, Phi Beta Lambda Business Fraternity, travelers, skateboarders, punk rockers, me phi me, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Sigma Gamma Rho, Zeta Phi Beta, homeless professionals, drug users, Omega Psi Phi, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta Sigma, Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, Phi Mu Alpha, Up2Us Coaches/Coaches Across America, AmeriCorps, City Year, any department in any state I resided in, United Parcel Service, DHL Express, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, Apple, Nike, Amazon, insurance agent, appraisers, sales personnel, technologists, gamers, leasing agents, apartment owners, banks, brokerage firms, hotels, motels, airlines, restaurants, public transportation workers, car rentals, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, children, teens, adolescents, garbage workers, recruiters, headhunters, airport workers, all the violators of the Ten Commandments, sinners, pastors, deacons, choir members, ushers, meetup groups, church congregation, actors, gym and fitness gurus, bodybuilders, athletes from other sports, research professionals, and many more….even if do not specifically mention your area of expertise I am talking to you or something related to you.

Ever since the Journal Entry regarding my depression and how it came to fruition, I never have and do not plan to shut up for anybody since 2007-2008. I know all this information is coming fast, but I am just like you sharing in bits in pieces, but I am all at once to catch up.

Pine Street Inn provided me a locker for storage. It is about half the size of a middle school or high school locker. I only store daily stuff, such as my multivitamins (Vega All-in-One Protein Shake, Gatorade G-Fit, Lenny & Larry's Plant Based Cookies, Metamucil Fiber Gummies, Metamucil 4-in-1 Single Packs, One-A-Day Men's Multivitamin, Hydroxycut, Metamucil Cinnamon Fiber Wafers), everyday clothing, medications, and work clothing. I do laundry every two weeks. You can see them in my photo albums. Pine Street Inn provided more housing applications to Somerville Housing Authority, Pine Street Inn Housing, Woodburne Apartments, and The Bay State Banner real estate section had housing lotteries. I am still on the lottery list for a brand new affordable housing project. At Pine Street Inn, I had to get a tuberculosis test and reading done, which I was informed I was supposed to get every six (6) months.

With my former residence in Atlanta, Georgia and in between actual health or medical plans, I never signed up for public insurance. So with me very focused on rolling off United Healthcare impacting the ability for my bills to paid by MassHealth (BMC Community Health Plan now WellSense). I wanted to test At-Home Medical Tests for all the same services you see in my photo albums. I did the tests publicly so others can see me do it. The results were the same.

Racial profiling and customer profiling does happen in Boston, Massachusetts despite importing diversity to create diversity. So here it goes, Target (Beacon Hill), a white/Latino retail floor employee, did racial and customer profiling, and I informed them through their surveys. CVS Pharmacy (North Station), overabundance of female employees, did racial and customer profiling, and I informed them through their surveys, but it still happens at random. StarMarket (North Station), a white manager, did racial and customer profiling, but stopped surveys for a year now. Whole Food Market (Charles River Plaza) security did racial and customer profiling, and I informed them through their surveys and it stopped.

I got my Monkeypox/smallpox vaccine JYNNEOS from Boston Medical Center Sexual Health Clinic. I still have a residual mark from where the vaccine was placed. Hopefully, my Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides start helping my hair, skin, and nails along with my prenatal multivitamins.

I purchased TurboTax to prepare to file my taxes.

I attended BayState (Massachusetts) Summer Games. I ran the 100m, 200m, and long jump. I won the long jump. I may or may not plan to go California for the State Games of America. It is in my photo blog.

I had to seriously pray the Lord's Prayer, read a Bible verse, Joel Osteen's message of the day, and recited the 23rd Psalm before my criminal court hearing at New York City / New York State Criminal Courts. It is in my photo blog. I also attended my follow up court date in September 2022, and the case and charges were dismissed. I talked to my pro-bono The Legal Aid Society attorney via the phone, and he told me I can get a Certificate of Disposition if I needed it, but most likely not available for the next day. The way I booked my trip was through Megabus and Marriott. I booked to hear the decision and leave immediately. My case came up first and the judge told me the decision without the presence of my attorney. I did eat a good meal at Whole Foods Market (Hudson Yards) to treat myself. I missed the USATF Masters Outdoor Nationals Championship in Lexington, Kentucky. I signed up for eTrack, the free case tracking service provided by the New York State Unified Court System, to actually track my case, which I never found and could not add. Checkr, Inc. provided all the employers that I am employed by and uses Checkr's service to provide the post-adverse action notice due to New York's situation.

I joined new workforce apps called Adia and Instawork. Adia Solutions LLC, works with Adecco staffing, and I filled out the profile. My first gig was Wyndham Hotel & Resorts (Beacon Hill). I worked as a bellman and backoffice customer service. I made some friends, associates, and acquaintances. It was my first time seeing the tipping business in the hotel other than housekeeping. When I can tip, I normally tipped the housekeeping and restaurant workers. I never thought about the bellpeople. I worked as a custodian and engineer, but I had to tell the supervisor that I do not mind moving other people (Wyndham's) stuff once a month and I do not do this type of physical activity on the regular.

Boston Medical Center had to prepare me for my first colonoscopy. My BMC primary care physician prescribes Golytely as the medication and gave me the instructions. I discussed the instructions with McInnis Health Center (Boston HealthCare for the Homeless Program) doctors and nurse. A month before the procedure, McInnis Health Center provided interesting advice, but not efficient planning on how to go about the day. As the procedure came close, I was in discussion with BMC on how to prepare and I planned a week ahead for it scheduling a PT1 Medical ride. McInnis calls the Friday before the procedure on Tuesday, and ask, "Am I still coming to the McInnis House?" I politely while enraged had to tell them, "No, I made other plans."

I communicated quite a bit through the Massachusetts General Hospital, McInnis Health Center, and Boston Medical Center information system with practitioners more than any other hospital information system for care.

Transitioning from Arbour Counseling Session (Zoom Calls) to Boston Medical Center In-Person (through the Bridge Clinic - Psychiatry Department) (Previous Journal topics - I just was repeating them to new people verbally)

Boys Relationships Sex Travel Materialism Research before buying Attachment Give and Take Work on trauma Touching and Assaults Thinking and Feelings Begin Cognitive Behavior Therapy or Cognitive Processing Therapy (homework on myself)

Other Topics from Summer and Fall 2022:

I started participating in University of Phoenix Dissertation to Publication Workshop. I attended University of Phoenix Knowledge without Borders Summit. I attend the UOPX KWB in person in Chicago and Washington, DC/Virginia, but this time it is virtual.

I started working with Massachusetts Vocational Rehabilitation Center for SSA's Ticket to Work to be local and not have Illinois's virtual center involved.

I never paid attention to what was happening with my toes. After everything happens and distractions, time becomes available to actually pay attention to myself.

I worked with some new rental startup companies, such as SplitSpot and June Homes. They are two of I do not know how many that rent out the megahomes throughout Boston and other cities. SplitSpot does an application and roommate approval process for a room. SplitSpot was funny because you provide a profile and roommate communication data is shared so I had to talk to the roommates. For one place, all the rooms were vacant and the potential roommate was in another state (Florida), and disapproved me. For another place, two male roommates and a potential female roommate with a pet, disapproved me, but during phone conversation individually with all three tried to blame each other for stating their vote, 'No.' June Homes does an application and credit check before roommate approval process for a room. When June Homes denied me on credit, I had to clutch the pearls and reflect that I have to have good credit score of 650 and above to rent a room in the house plus pay deposit.

I went to Atlanta, Georgia for the first part of my vacation and stayed at the Marriott TownePlace Suites. I switched from the J.W. Marriott at the last minute to prevent any shenanigans like New York City. I met a few South Carolina State University college people (we were not in the same class to say classmate). I told all my Atlanta-based friends I was there, but I guess they wanted to do schizophrenia and not see me physically. It did not matter, but I had a great time seeing three hairstylists and/or barbers and meeting people from Atlanta LGBTQIA+ Pride weekend, and unexpectedly ran into Rho Kappa Lambda brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. at House in the Park. I flew Delta Airlines and used my points. I had a terrible experience at Subway restaurant at Atlanta Hartsfield airport, the supervisor replaced the sandwich, and the Delaware North assistant general manager did reach out to me. See my photo album.

I spent my second half of vacation in Charleston/North Charleston, South Carolina. I rented a car from Atlanta and drove to South Carolina. I played with the hands-free technology and cruise control on rural road with minimal to no traffic. I had to work at Dorchester County District Two (South Carolina Public Schools). I signed up for three days to get my feet wet and see how everything operates. See my photo album. It was very restful and relaxing. I went through a half box of magnums and eight regular condoms so it was good. Walmart was nearby so I was happy. UberEats worked very well on my order from Bonefish Grill, and it was hot and delightful. Finally, I found the CSC Works smartphone app, it worked well at the Extended Stay America hotel, and gave me a bonus for using the app. The CSCWorks vendor does Boston system of laundry centers, but you have to use a smartcard connected with one site.

I signed up for United States Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Authority's Pre-Check program. My Global Entry program known traveler number expired. I signed up for the new program.

I attended Snow Companies - Gilead - Advisory Board program on HIV prevention services and medicines.

I had to subscribe to AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss because my original two-year subscription expired. I did a month break between the original expiration and new subscription to see if anything was going to happen. I had to replace the front glass on my iPhone.

ZipCar kept sending me reminders about re-establishing membership.

I updated my National Board's Candidate Management System (NBCMS) profile, which is supported by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

I joined a new meetup Skip the Small Talk Online through the Hey Siri group. This is the first time I had audio issues over the Apple iPhone. I could hear everything, but they could not hear me. We troubleshooted for thirty (30) minutes.

I filled out DoorDash Shop and Deliver form. I was already doing it, but I guess they wanted to make it official. UberEats provided these types of orders when they know I am at the end of my day.

I updated my Hilton profile.

All of Us Research provided some data.

Allied Universal sends me Special Security Briefing I guess to keep in touch and get additional business.

Massachusetts General Brigham started sending more research surveys about new features.

I started Busuu Live Lessons.

I participated in USATF Potomac Valley Association and PVTC Zoom call and voting process. This was a first ever.

I sent in my United States Department of State Passport Application through the United States Postal Service.

I attended Oracle Cloud World. It was whole breadth of knowledge and experience on how one organization works around a winning product. I do not have the $5,000 annually for training and certification around it, but learning bits and pieces through webinar and technical papers works too.

I participated in new Crunch Fitness Malden class offerings. I participated in Crunch Fitness Summerville group fitness classes. I tried to enter North Charleston's Crunch Fitness, but that is when I was notified that my gym membership expired.

I am reading the newsletters, responses to my letter (all the different thoughts), and participating in polls by the United States Congress (Senators and Representatives).

Federal Express attorneys tried to answer the civil suit by stating nothing happened and deny everything. We are at the pre-trial conference stage. MCAD still pending. I was told to decide MCAD vs Superior Court, but I told them to settle. I am only looking for one settlement from Federal Express, but however I can proceed with Pre-Trial and private investigator to proceed with one trial for both courts.

Southampton Street Shelter's case is left with the State of Massachusetts, but just continuous notice of appearances by different attorneys. I am unsure what that is about.

I am getting prepared to 'sit and wait' because the government trained me well to let routine drive people crazy up the wall, plus speakerphone, and wait until the end of time for something to give way or give me my money for what your people did.

From my Nokia first cellphone to current Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy Smartphone Apps:

Remember black and grey screen snake game. I loved that game.

Remember black and grey screen Tetris game. Using the keypad and directional keys to get the blocks right.

I had the UberEats, Uber Driver, and Uber apps on my smartphone. I was using them, but until New York took Uber away. I threw the whole business in the trash, uninstalled, and did not bring to new phone. It is backed up in cloud storage.

I had the DoorDash driver, and DoorDash apps on my smartphone. I was using them, but until New York took DoorDash away. I threw the whole business in the trash, uninstalled, and did not bring to new phone. It is backed up in cloud storage.

I had the Grubhub driver, and Grubhub apps on my smartphone. I was using them, but until New York took Grubhub away. I threw the whole business in the trash, uninstalled, and did not bring to new phone.

Google Chrome has done a great job syncing data with is apps platform. I was impressed just as much as I use Firefox in syncing data and search abilities.

The Google sync with Android phone was impressive. No duplicate data anywhere…yep, throwing shade to Apple.

Security got much better with Android. AT&T Cloud, AT&T Call Protect, AT&T ActiveArmor, plus Samsung HIYA and Samsung Cloud service darn sure capture my data, photos, music, documents, everything to help me not miss one communication beat plus secure any data network for a minimum fee. No Google Cloud or Microsoft Cloud services yet.

Starbucks app exemplifies the service provided by its restaurants. It has not missed yet, even with a cup of iced water. I love the rewards, but I do not have Starbucks budget like that. Thanks for always remembering my birthday.

McDonald's app knew its customers and how to get them store with the $1 deals, but when inflation raised it to $2. I had to rethink my trips to all the Boston's McDonalds. I went for breakfast and lunch/dinner.

Grindr, Jack'd, GROWLr, Scruff, Recon, Bro, 3Fun, Mr X apps (outside of Massachusetts) are used for the purpose of sex and hookups, and its actual purpose. Inside Massachusetts, New York, or Northeast is for scamming, headaches, and from me-educational purposes to eliminate those gray matter opinions. Remember my scamming Journal Entry what folks tried to do to me.

Google Authenticator was better than Microsoft Authenticator for rolling over from various phones. I understand Microsoft's logic to authenticate each account, but it becomes a headache when more websites are rolling out multi-factor or two-way authentication. ID.me is very good for government multi-factor or two- way authentication. Adobe Access authentication is pretty good for the Adobe suite of products.

My banks, credit cards, and brokerage firms worked all my phones and iPad.

Zoom was and is pretty good with weblinks. It is used by most organizations. I played with the various backgrounds. It was slight hiccup when I tried to switch phones on my personal account, but I recovered figuring out it was multi-factor authentication had to be turned on. Google Duo/Google Meet was pretty good. Apple FaceTime was good. Video calling became a better experience.

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annarborcounselingservices · 2 years ago

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BIPOC Mental Health

Content Warning: Racism

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mental Health Equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to reach their highest level of mental health and emotional well-being. Increased awareness of societal and environmental factors that impact mental health can result in increased social support, normalizing treatment for mental health concerns, and improving mental health equity.

In an effort to increase Mental Health Equity, we want to shine light on societal and environmental factors that negatively impact mental health for BIPOC communities. We are also sharing mental health resources at the bottom of this email with the hopes of increasing normalization of mental health treatment.

Contributing Factors for Mental Health Concerns

Racism, Racial and Implicit Bias, and Discrimination

Racial Profiling. Many people who have been profiled have developed symptoms of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Institutional Racism and Social Determinants of Mental Health. This includes socioeconomic status, history of housing segregation, and mass incarceration.

Trauma including individual, complex, collective, historical, microagression, and cultural trauma

Barriers BIPOC experience when seeking Mental Health Treatment

Socioeconomic Disparities. Including exclusion from health, educational, social and economic resources

Stigma

Provider Bias and Inequality of Care. Conscious and unconscious provider bias and a lack of cultural competency can lead to misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment. In the long-run this can result in mistrust of mental health professionals.

Disparities in Access to Care and Treatment

Resources that Aim to Eliminate Barriers for Mental Health Treatment

The Confess Project

The Confess Project has the first and largest organization committed to building a culture of mental health for Black boys, men, and their families. The Confess Project focuses on empowering frontline heroes and sheroes in communities across America. More specifically, they train barbers to be mental health advocates. The Confess Project website includes: Trainings for Barbers, Events, Find a Therapist Function

Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective(BEAM)

“BEAM’s mission is to remove the barriers that Black people experience getting access to or staying connected with emotional health care and healing through education, training, advocacy, and the creative arts.” The BEAM website includes: Educational Tools, Journal Prompts, Reflection Questions, Wellness Directory, Trainings, Community and Support Programs

Therapy for Black Girls

“So often the stigma surrounding mental health issues and therapy prevents Black women from taking the step of seeing a therapist. This space was developed to present mental health topics in a way that feels more accessible and relevant.” The Therapy for Black Girls website includes: Podcast, Blog, Find a Therapist Function

Brother, You’re on My Mind

“Brother, You’re on My Mind is a partnership between NIMHD and the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. The initiative is intended to raise awareness of the mental health challenges associated with depression and stress that affect African American men and their families” The Brother, You’re on My Mind website toolkit includes: Psychoeducation, Scripts for talking about mental health with others, Resources

Check out some of the resources to use for BIOPIC Mental Health HERE.

#BIPOC #Mental Health

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onsunnyside · 3 years ago

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♔⌎ 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞: 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐏𝐡𝐢

Welcome to the 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 for the characters of 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 for Arcadia Phi.

❝ With the college motto, “Where Leaders are Made,” Arcadia Phi is where those leaders become gods.

Founded in 1889 and strictly for alphas, Arcadia Phi is one of the most renowned fraternities in the country with a record of famous alumnis, celebrities and successful elites worldwide. To be in Arcadia is to be given a seat at the golden table, honoured with a title that lasts a lifetime, and the opportunity to “Rise Above All.” ❞

𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬: Steve Rogers, Ari Levinson, Curtis Everett, Ransom Drysdale, Bucky Barnes, Andy Barber, Johnny Storm, Bryce Langley, Colin Shea, Nick Fowler, Ryan Ackerman, Sam Wilson, Thor Odinson, and Steve Kemp. 𝐀𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐧𝐢: Lloyd Hansen.

𝗔/𝗡 | a good bunch of these characters took years off before attending Howard College, some of it will be explained in the fics. where I’m from, the legal drinking age is 19, and unfortunately, I wrote this story with that in mind, so even though the legal drinking age in the U.S. is 21, just bear with me. Also, I’ll probably add new members if new projects come out !! Note: all visuals made by me (crest, dividers, moodboards, etc.) but no images belong to me.

α (alpha) | β (beta) | Ω (omega)

𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬:

More information | About Arcadia Phi: #hc: arcadia

𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | 6’8, scent: a powerful sensual mixture of cedar wood, oak moss, and patchouli, with a linger of cigarettes.

❝ Falling in my den. Full of lions, full of breath. Take the muzzle from their heads. I'm a sucker for revenge. ❞ — The Marías, Hush

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | His family name is notable for vile reasons, and with the fortune built off of omega breeding programs, Ari has been surrounded by greed and suffering his whole life. His father is in prison, his mother is a few hours away in a luxury condo, and only-child-Ari became a freshman at Howard College a few years later than others in his year. Worshipped yet covert, his name is spoken in whispers of wonder or fear and with his quick popularity, it wasn’t long until he was promoted to president of Arcadia Phi.

Honour isn’t a grace to him, it is only earned and he prides himself in being the judge of who deserves it. In his cold, mean blue eyes, omegas are never more than their designation—and anyone who believes such will be taught the truth.

Starring in: 𝐀 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐀𝐜𝐭 & 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐚 | #tough act: ari

𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | 6’6, scent: an unmistakable and intense musk, both woody and smokey with a hint of sea salt.

❝ Pretty little face stopped me in my tracks. But now she sleeps with one eye open. That's the price she'll pay. ❞ — Florence + the Machine, Girl With One Eye

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | Adopted by the Drysdale-Thrombey’s when he was just a child, Steve has grown into the picture perfect alpha of the family. With a natural captivating talent, he draws all of the attention whenever he enters a room. After taking years off and exploring the world with his adoptive brother, Ransom, they both enrolled in Howard College.

Steve is the golden boy of the school and the star football captain, and a legend in the making. He’s going to be big one day, and his college life will be his origin story. The only missing piece is someone to share his future with.

Starring in: 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧'𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲 & 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐚 | #captains legacy: steve

𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | 6’6, scent: deep patchouli with compliments of bergamot and lavender, sometimes with a hint of cigarettes.

❝ I carry band-aids on me now. For when your soft hands hit the jagged ground….Promise I won't push you straight to the dirt. If you promise me, you'll take them off first. ❞ — Melanie Martinez, Training Wheels

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶��𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | Curtis was the black sheep of his posh, old money-rich and extremely religious family, which led to him bouncing between extended family for years before landing in Howard College. The local cops know him by name, although his record is as clean as a whistle. Whether it’s his status, or ruthless arrogance, he’s managed to stay out of handcuffs despite his revolt (as for pleasure, he’s usually the one to slap the cuffs on someone’s wrists).

He isn’t picky but he is experienced, and one would expect his partners would be somewhere on that range too, given the number of names he’s added to the slut walk list in the Arcadia house—but what’s the point of having so much knowledge of you don’t teach it?

❝ 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made…. 4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." ❞ — Genesis 3:1-5

Starring in: 𝐒𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧’ & 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐚 | #sos: curtis

| Ransom Drysdale | 2nd Year, 22 | α | Communications Major

𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | 6’5, scent: a woody vanilla combination with whiffs of citrus and tobacco.

❝ It took thirteen beaches to find one empty. But finally, it's mine. With drippin' peaches, I'm camera ready. Almost all the time. ❞ — Lana Del Rey, 13 Beaches

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | He was the sole heir to the family fortune before getting an adoptive brother. A life of opulence and security, whenever he wants something, it isn’t long until he is gifted that very thing. That lack of patience has led to a selfish, cocky and boastful attitude.

To Ransom, there is nothing to be ashamed of or reserved about. Everything he does is unabashed and confident, every one of his words are spoken to be heard, and every action to be witnessed. He knows he deserves to be praised and admired—like a statue of priceless marble in a museum.

Starring in: 𝐍𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨 & 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐚 | #hc: ransom

𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | 6’6, scent: layers of cashmere, almond and smooth vanilla with a dash of cocoa.

❝ You got me thinking that I was too mean. Well, everything that I say I believe. Tuck a knife with my heart up my sleeve…. I've been corrupted. And by now I don't need a fucking introduction. ❞ — Halsey, Lilith

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | The former Arcadia Phi president and one of the eldest of the fraternity, known as the future lawyer, Andy is crisp and charming with a Boston background. Although he has a strict personality, he doesn’t carry himself with the same sadism as his fraternity brothers.

Andy is a simple man, he wants simple things, and one of those is to be obeyed. He doesn’t take rebellion easily, but a little bratty behaviour can be quite entertaining.

Starring in: 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐨𝐝 & 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐚 | #hc: andy

𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬:

| Bucky Barnes | 3rd Year, 22 | α | Howard College Football Team

| Bryce Langley | 1st Year, 19 | α | Howard College Football Team

| Colin Shea | 1st Year, 19 | α | Curtis’ little brother

| Nick Fowler | 2nd Year, 20 | α | Howard College Football Team

| Ryan Ackerman | 2nd Year, 21 | α | Howard College Football Team

Live off campus: (not in the Arcadia House)

| Sam Wilson | 3rd Year, 21 | α | Howard College Football Team

| Thor Odinson | 3rd Year, 22 | α | Howard College Football Team

| Steve Kemp | 3rd Year, 21 | α | #hc: kemp

𝐀𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐧𝐢:

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abbatoirablaze · 2 years ago

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SDAU, Raised By Bears, Chapter 1

Word Count: 934

“Alright pledges…this is our annual test of endurance and strength…and willpower” president of the fraternity, Chris Evans smiled. A few of the other brothers chuckled amongst themselves as they looked across the back yard.

He gestured across the lawn to where there were four pledges zip-tied to the plastic lawn chairs. Curtis, Lee, and Bobby were giddy with excitement, having heard about the annual tradition of where they were stripped down to their boxers. From there, the Alpha girls use only their mouths to eat a banana from between a pledges thighs, and lick up the whipped cream that was sprayed over their covered crotches, while the alpha pledge girls were stripped down to their bra and underwear and half an orange was placed between their thighs, a healthy bit of honey in the middle that the men had to eat out.

The brothers of the house whooped and cheered, ready to start their annual games, “now…the goal of this is to not get turned on…a member of the houses will choose a pledge, and we will put them to the test…now, since there are only four pledges that have made it this far this year…you alpha girls can choose one of them or another brother until each of your cabinet members and juniors and seniors have had a chance.”

“Thank you, President Evans,” Nat smirked, crossing her arms at her boyfriend, “we graciously accept your offer.”

And so it started. With the alpha president Nat choosing her boyfriend. He smiled and licked his lips, sitting down in a chair while his brothers zip-tied him down. The vp chose Curtis. But when the third girl came up, she immediately came to Andy.

“I choose this pledge.”

Andy shook his head, trying not to embarrass the girl, “I don’t feel comfortable doing this.”

The men stopped cheering and looked to Andy. In all reality, Andy didn’t have any issues with what was going on. The idea had seemed fun enough, and he was assured by Curtis that there were plenty of bears within the sister sorority. What he did have issue with was the fact that the girl that had chosen him was not a bear.

He could smell it on her a mile away. She was a little omega wolf. She was cute enough. Petite. She looked like she would be willing to do whatever he wanted. But she wasn’t his type and he didn’t want to pretend that she was. Andy’s lip curved into a snarl, “I don’t do dogs.”

The omega backed away, embarrassed of having been rejected by not only a freshman, but a pledge at that when she was a full sister in the sorority; a high ranking one at that.

But it was Nat that walked straight up to him, and without a second’s hesitation, she put her hands on either arm of the chair, “You don’t have a choice, pledge…sister Sarah chose you…so you are going to go through with it.”

“I don’t fuck with mutts,” he spat at the woman who was older by just a few years, “she can go howl into her pillow about it…I don’t fu-“

“Pledge,” Chris growled, his alpha aura projecting through the back yard. He may have been zip-tied to a chair, but that didn’t mean anything as everyone’s eyes snapped to his. The alpha girls instantly submitted to him, but it was Andy who growled at the wolf, “you either accept her and let the time-tested tradition and bond between our two houses happen or we cut your ties with us. Physically…”

“He’s saying if you don’t do it…you’re out of the frat,” Curtis whispered to his fellow bear, “look…you don’t have to give a damn about her, jus-“

“I’ll accept her if he won’t!” Bobby said quickly, raising his hand as much as the zip tie would allow, “I-“

“I want him…”

“What’ll it be, pledge Barber?” Chris said in a firm tone.

“Fine.” the bear growled, looking away from the woman. The men cheered and the omega crossed her arms, self-conscious of what had just happened. But she had it in the back of her mind that while the bear was obviously a species-ist, she was going to prove to him that a wolf could take care of him so well he’d be begging for her afterwards. And then she would reject him.

Thor was the one to stop Andy from entering the house at the end of the ‘festivities.’ His brow cocked, but Thor only smiled, handing him a roll of garbage bags, “Evans said this was for your piss-poor attitude.”

“My attitude?” the young bear scoffed, “he wanted me to ge-“

“He wanted you to play nice with our sister sorority,” Thor said firmly, “I get it…you don’t like anyone other than bears…we get guys like you all the time. Stay dating within the species…keep bloodlines pure…blah blah blah…well we’re all alphas. And that means that when our sister sorority tries to bond with us…we let that shit happen….”

“Thor-“

“You think I want to fuck around with another shifter?” he growled, “no…I prefer humans…but I put on a brave face, and I don’t make a mockery of our traditions…that’s something you need to learn, pledge. Hell, half the guys don’t give a shit about the girls they’re banging right now…but we do it because it’s tradition. It’s what’s expected of us.”

Before he could respond, the trash bags were shoved into his chest and Thor turned curtly around and went inside the house. Andy frowned, turning around as he looked at the trashed yard.

Tag List: @evanswife1918, @lohnes16, @tenaciousperfectionunknown

#school days au #college #a/b/o au #a/b/o #a/b/o fic #werebear #alpha andy barber #dark andy barber #andy barber #defending jacob #alpha thor odinson #thor #thor movies #thor odinson #marvel au #the avengers #marvel

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nerdasaurus1200 · 3 years ago

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Corona Citizens Part 1

I tried to avoid it, but unfortunately, this will have to be multiple parts.

This guy here is Jake. He’s Corona’s resident grocer and Jack’s father

Bertha here is Jake’s mom and Jack’s grandma. She runs one of the best bake shops in Corona (besides Atilla the Bun of course)

This is Sofia, Seth’s mom and Lemar’s wife. They’re all currently living with Jake and his family. Sofia works as a seamstress and is trying to save enough money so the three of them can move out and have a place of their own.

Henry and William; fraternal twins. They’re the town criers and junior advisors to Frederic. They HATE doing events without each other.

Edwin and Othello. They’re next door neighbors. Edwin is the local barber, while Othello is an actor and a fiddler. When Edwin isn’t cutting hair, he’s helping Feldspar at the cobbler shop. Othello met him there one day…and instantly fell in love. And now he fiddles around him day and night to get his attention.

Blondie. He’s Big Nose’s distant cousin, and an immigrant from Sweden. He hopes to one day have the best popcorn stand in Corona.

Bud le Fleur. He’s the older brother of the le Fleur sisters and loves to sell flags. He’s a HUGE flag nerd.

Alanzo. He has a home in Corona and is originally from there, but he doesn’t always live in it. He’s too busy traveling the world and performing most of the time, but he does always visit for the holidays. There’s no place like home, after all.

#tts #rta #tangled #tangled the series #rapunzel's tangled adventure #nerd talks #jake #alanzo #henry #william #sofia #bertha #bud #blondie #edwin #othello

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whibleysims · 1 year ago

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That mysterious project Allan was working on was in truth his first novel; a fiction that borrowed real feelings he has about his estranged mother and broken childhood.

The first edition lives at the Frat House.

#storytelling #allan murphy #sims 2 #ts2 #year 2 #rbu #reginald barber university #caroline murphy #barber brothers fraternity #the beginning

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loverofgravity · 6 years ago

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West Coast Tech Mystery: A Gravity Falls Fanfic Ch. 5

Dipper pulled the bookshelf far enough for them to squeeze through easily. A hallway slanted downwards away from them and into darkness as it turned sharply to the right. Wendy activated the dim setting on her flashlight and held it low in front of them as they advanced down the musty corridor. They both realized it was unlikely anyone was still down here, but it was better to be safe just in case. The two explorers hugged the right side of the wall and moved as quietly as possible to the corner at the end. It was apparent that this was probably part of an old storage area or study fallen out of use from the original library. Dipper borrowed Wendy’s light after taking a quick peek into the dimly lit corridor around the corner. He took another peek with the light, confirming his suspicion that the hall terminated in a door not too far ahead. He gestured Wendy forward and they both noticed natural yellow light creeping onto the floor in front of them from underneath the door. Wendy approached the door and put her ear to the carved paneling. Hearing nothing, she shook her head at Dipper who immediately took a look through the key hole.

“I can’t see much but I think it’s empty” he whispered to his redheaded comrade. She nodded, and Dipper tried the knob. It was locked. Luckily, he had prepared for this stakeout thoroughly; he unslung his backpack and retrieved a few simple lock picking tools. After a short manipulation of the tumblers in the old lock, he had it open. Unfortunately, the task had caused more noise than he intended in the silent lair. The pair knew anyone on the other side would know they were coming. All the same, they nudged the door open as quietly as possible. Thankfully they were greeted by only inanimate objects on the other side. The adventurers breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at each other. Before them lay a miniature lair with all of the necessities required for a meeting of the Society of the Blind Eye.

The room was relatively small for its purpose. On the right lay a table with books and documents strewn over its surface. Next to that was a bookshelf with more books and a few empty shelves. Over the table hung an ominous painting of a stern faced Society member whose eyes and brow where hidden by the signature red hood. He wore a vaguely masonic chain around his shoulders which bore many symbols of the Blind Eye in different incarnations, and he held up one hand in what appeared to be a sign or greeting of the order. In the center of the room stood an old barber’s chair upholstered in blood red cloth. It was plainly obvious that this chair was intended for mind erasures. Above that hung a candle chandler which probably provided ominous lighting for ceremonies. The left wall interrupted the wood paneling and wall paper that adorned the rest of the room; it bore naturally tan bricks with a recess flanked by mahogany shelves. Inside the recess sat a small stand and TV screen intended to play stored memories; the shelves bore scores of memory tubes in perfect order, glaring in the dim yellow lights illuminating the room. There was a small safe in the back left corner next to one of the memory tube shelves; aside from that there were only minor pieces of furniture and Blind Eye memorabilia and insignias.

Our intrepid explorers lowered their guard since they had the room to themselves and there were no other obvious doors or entrances other than the one they came in from. Immediately they checked the memory tubes for names, and, to their relief, every tube had a blank label. Wendy stuck a tube into the projector to be sure, and it brought up only static. It appeared the Society had yet to abduct anyone at West Coast Tech. With this established, Dipper moved over to the table and began skimming the documents. All of the books and most of the papers were inconsequential; however, he did find one pamphlet entitled “MANIFESTO OF THE RESURRECTED SOCIETY OF THE BLIND EYE” and an encoded letter. “WENDY! I found something!” he exclaimed with excitement. “It looks like some sort of mission statement. There’s also some code on this paper that looks important.” Wendy moved away from the safe she had been examining and rushed over to the table. “What does it say, Dip?”

Dipper ran his fingers over the cipher. “I’ll have to take a picture and decode it later. I can read this pamphlet though,” he paused and took a breath.

“Manifesto…Society of the Blind eye.

Brothers, this order was founded on noble principles: innocence, fraternity, protection. We must uphold this tradition of honor in our time. Like a phoenix from the ashes, we arose once more from the chaos of the Demon. It is our destiny to protect humanity from the insanity that abounds at the cracks in our dimension. We must protect our people from themselves. Ignorance of the monsters scratching at our windows is the only sure method to secure bliss amongst the populace. We have always believed this, but, now, we are called to an even higher mission. The Demon whose name shan’t be spoken nearly succeeded in conquering our dimension and destroying life as we know it. His near success can be attributed to our order’s temporary destruction mere weeks before his emergence. Even though he was cast from this dimension in defeat, we now know he was able to gain entrance into our realm through the manipulation of thoughts and dreams in an ethereal form. Once again, he only exists in the mind. This fact is crucial to his permanent defeat. The only way to ensure the Demon never returns is to erase all memory of him from all of humanity. Fortunately, only the residents of Gravity Falls knew of his existence other than a few token visitors. The mayor has forbade those who experienced the Demon’s terror from speaking of it. This makes our mission all the easier. The final victory lies in erasing every last scrap of the Demon from everyone’s minds. We shall seek out the few who have left Gravity Falls since the event; then, we shall systematically free each resident of the town from the Demon. Once this is done, humanity’s victory shall culminate when we as an order free our own minds from the Demon…”

Wendy let out a long whistle. “That’s really heavy dude.” Dipper nodded, concerned. “You said it…let’s get out of here after I take a picture of this code. There’s nothing else we can do in here. That safe is beyond my skills.” Wendy looked around once last time in case the pair missed something. “Yeah. I think we are done here.” Dipper snapped a picture of the ciphered letter before they left:

EURWKHU,

DV BRX NQRZ, RXU RUGHU PXVW ZLSH WKH GHPRQ IURP HYHUB PLQG. WKLV LV DFFRPSOLVKHG HDVLOB HQRXJK ZLWK RXU WUDGLWLRQDO PHWKRGV. KRZHYHU, WKHUH LV D SUREOHP. WKH KDUELQJHU RI WKH GHPRQ KDV LQVWDOOHG D PHWDO SODWH LQ KLV KHDG WR SURWHFW KLPVHOI IURP WKH GHPRQ. LURQLFDOOB, ZH FDQQRW IUHH KLV WKRXJKWV DV D UHVXOW. WKH RQOB VXUH DOWHUQDWLYH IRU WKLV LQGLYLGXDO LV…WHUPLQDWLRQ. BHV, WKLV PHDVXUH LV VHYHUH, EXW LW LV WKH RQOB ZDB WR VHFUXH WKH VDIHWB RI RXU HQWLUH XQLYHUVH. RQH PDQ LV DQ LQILQWLHVPDO SULFH WR SDB IRU RXU YLFWRUB. WKLV ZLOO EH DFFRPSOLVKHG LQ WLPH. ZH GR QRW KDYH WKH PHPEHUVKLS UHTXLUHG WR RSHUDWH LQ WKLV VFRSH. DV VXFK ERWK RI BRX VKDOO MRLQ PH DQG EURWKHU OHWKH DW ZHVW FRDVW WHFK. LW ZLOO UHTXLUH DOO RI XV KHUH WR IUHH WKH PLQGV RI SLQH WUHH DQG LFH DV ZHOO DV UHDFK SRWHQWLDO UHFUXLWV RQ WKH FDPSXV. KDLO WKH EOLQG HBH!

-PDVWHU EOLQG LYDQ

#dipper pines #wendy and dipper #wendy #wendip #wendy corduroy #west coast tech #gravity falls #society of the blind eye #blind eye #dipper

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mwb-bvdk · 2 years ago

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A little sneak peek of what I work with on a daily basis ⚔️Bearded Villains⚔️ 🇩🇰⚔Sons Of Ravens⚔️🇩🇰 ⚔️One Brotherhood One Ship⚔️ ▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎ Mission Statement: To Unite Bearded Men of all cultures, races, creed and sexuality in a Brotherhood devoted to Loyalty, Honor and Respect toward all people, Dedicated to the betterment of mankind through fraternity Charity and Kindness ▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎ 𝕿𝖍𝖊𝕭𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖉 • 𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖞 • 𝕱𝖆𝖒𝖎𝖑𝖞 • 𝕷𝖔𝖞𝖆𝖑𝖙𝖞 • 𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖈𝖙 ▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎ βΣΔЯDΣD ∇ILLΔIΠS βΣΔЯDΣD ∇ILLΔIΠS DΣΠMΔЯK SΩИS OF ЯΔVΣΠS STΔΨ LΩΨΔL STΔΨβΣΔЯDΣD ЯISΣ ΩҒ THΣ βЯΩTHΣЯHΩΩD FΛMIŁЏ FIЯST ▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎ My Brotherhood: @Beardedvillains My Prez: @von_knox My Chapter: @BeardedVillains_Denmark My Captain: @the_danish_beard My Co-Cap: @bliesmann_bvdk My Scout: @robbi_ak My Beardcare: @beardpilot My Barber: @barberbrothersdk My Sisterhood: @beardedvillains_queens & @thevillainettes Favorite Streamers /YouTubers: @sl1pg8r @maziontv @cinemassacre @drae_yt @blitzkriegsler + InterndotGif My Bearded Brother From Another Mother: @lord_brunsgaard ▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎ #sonsofravens #beardedvillainsdanishchapter #beardedvillains #stayloyal #staybearded #bearded #heartbeard #ratemybeard #instabeard #beardgang #beardporn #staybearded #beardsofinstagram #beard #breadon #bv4life #beardedvillains #beardedvillain #beardedvillainsworldwide #beardedvillainseurope #beardedvillainsbrotherhood #stayhumble #beardedvillains_europe #onebrotherhood #onebrotherhoodoneship #workingvillain #work #skate #vertramp #skatelite #halaskive #skatepark (at Hal-A Skive streetsportcenter) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeHaEhzN_7x/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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kroabot · 3 years ago

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Charles Foley Todd Stumpff ask Joe Gonnerman if he cares what happens to his grand daughter. He is such a piece of dirt, that he gave ne an ultimatum that i sign custody to him, or he wont help at all. Then Joe would sell Star Monique Gonnerman to the Mormons and my brother instead. Because my brother Mark Gonnerman is a sellout barber in Park City, he might be droned and cloned by the Mormons, which is why he would be vulturing around in an inhuman opportunistic image buiiding manner. So he can build his image as Mormon royalty in Park City, Utah. To impress his college Fraternity, Theta Chi, even though Mark Gonnerman is like 43 years old.

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rocksbackpages · 4 years ago

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This week's Rock's Backpages is a Country Music special inspired by the publication of Tony Russell's new book Rural Rhythm: The Story of Old-Time Country Music in 78 Records.

In our "Almost Famous" spotlight, Tony writes beautifully about old-time legends Charlie Poole & Uncle Dave Macon, while the Free On RBP feature pulls out archive pieces on Gillian Welch & Loretta Lynn – both of whom release new albums this month.

Also free on RBP are great pieces about Bunny Wailer & Chris Barber, two musical colossi we lost this week...

For RBP subscribers, the week's new audio interview is John Tobler's 1983 catch-up with Phil Everly, who discusses his latest solo album and talks somewhat circumspectly about his fraternal feud with brother Don... and the duo's planned reunion shows at London's Albert Hall.

RBP Subscribers also get the usual 50+ new articles in our ever-expanding library, including pieces on:

• The Stones' drug bust (1967)

• Bob Seger (1976)

• Pop videos (1982)

• Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1992)

• Irwin Chusid (2001)

• Danger Mouse's Rome (2011)

... and (from 2017) Valerie June.

I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine,Anytime night or day.Only trouble is, gee whiz,I'm dreamin' my life away...

#music journalism #country music #Gillian Welch #Old-Time Country #loretta lynn #bunny wailer #chris barber

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kim6rothers · 7 years ago

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– ADRIAN KIM . 33 . ART TEACHER . SINGLE (bi) (fc: Simon D) He’s the second born of the six Kim brothers. He looks up to his big brother Sean and is closest to him. Adrian is an art teacher with his own studio. He takes on students of all ages and does commission work. A lot of the time when he’s focused he tends to look very angry but he’s actually kind of like a dad despite not having kids. He makes stupid jokes and gets easily excited about things.

– MASON KIM . 24 . BARBER & WRESTLING COACH . SINGLE (straight) (fc: Matthew Kim) His work is his passion and he’s the type of guy that goes out of his way for people. He does have a tenancy though to make stupid jokes and get himself into trouble. He has a bit of a temper but he can be easily simmered down. He also has a bit of an ego because he knows he’s good looking and comes from a good looking family. He’s a sweetheart though.

– VANESSA HAN . 23 . FULL TIME STUDENT . SINGLE (gay) (fc: Hwasa) She’s the only girl in the family, a cousin to the Kim brothers, and little sister of Nico. She’s been surrounded by boys her whole life so she’s a tough one.She has thick skin, she’s a daredevil, and always the loudest. She’s also a bit spoiled since she’s the only girl.

– WYATT HAN . 21 . FULL TIME STUDENT . SINGLE (bi) (fc: Jimin) The baby brother of Nico and Vanessa (also the baby of the entire family), he gets away with literally everything. He doesn’t really know what responsibility is but he attempts to. He probably needs work on how to be a full fledged adult but otherwise he has his big brother to put him in his place (even if he’s not such a great role model). He’s usually always happy though and typically hung over from parties.

– JADEN KIM . 28 . DANCE INSTRUCTOR . SINGLE (gay) He is the younger fraternal twin of Jacob. He is someone that appears cold and quiet, but really he’s just always lost in his head. He day dreams a bit and sometimes people wonder if he’s mute. In reality he’s an observer. He loves deeply yet is shy to reveal his heart. He loves being with people and enjoys just listening.

– LIAM KIM . 23 . UNDERGROUND RAPPER & STUDENT . SINGLE (straight) (fc: Kanto) He’s the baby of the six Kim brothers. He has some baggage he carries and doesn’t really tell anyone about. His brothers constantly look over him and want him to do well, but he’s a stubborn kid that hasn’t realized yet how important they are. He loves people that relate to him with music and wants to be on big stages some day. He laughs a lot and has a thing for older women.

If you are interested in RPing with any of my lovely bunch, please let me know by PM or IM. I will respond and we can work out a plot. Otherwise I’m sure I can hunt a plot down. I’m open to pre-established and new meetings.

#open rp #roleplay #kprp #kpop roleplay #kpop rp

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barberjourney-blog · 7 years ago

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Let’s start from the beginning...

Well here goes. My first attempt at blogging. That is, unless you count the occasional snarky comment on Facebook or that week in college I tried to do Xanga. Why a blog you might ask? Well, I’ve always considered myself a better communicator through the written word. I come from a family of writers. My sister is an editor for a publishing company. My mom’s list of published works include short stories, magazine articles, and children’s Sunday School curriculum. Even my dad has been known to pen a witty sonnet (usually on the topic of what he cooked for dinner or an embellished fishing trip story). So I guess writing is a family tradition. And although I haven’t practiced the skill in quite a while, it’s always been something I’ve rather enjoyed. I think it’s the organization that I like. Sometimes when I speak, my words get ahead of my thoughts, but not so with writing. Writing is more controlled. I’m able to key a thought, then read it and process it. If I don’t like what I’ve said, that backspace click is just a few finger strokes up.

I’m one paragraph in and already rambling. Forgive me. Let’s get to the point of this thing.

If you’ve followed my Instagram over the last couple of years, you may have noticed a trend in my posts. I’ve visited a lot of barbershops over the last 2 years. A LOT. I‘ve lost count of the exact number a while back, but I’d estimate I’ve seen 20+ shops over the last 12 months. I’ve visited shops in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, Birmingham, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, and Gulf Shores just to name a few. Now, I’m not talking about the salon where your mom goes. Or Sports Clips. I’m talking about the good old fashioned men’s barbershop. The kind of shop maybe you’ve only seen in movies. Men sitting around the shop discussing sports, politics, family, and life. Maybe some good tunes on the radio and the aroma of a hot cup of joe wafting through the air. And a skilled, seasoned barber honing his craft at the chair. His hands are surgical and his gift with the clippers, comb, and shears are a unique combination of skill and art.

These shops fascinate me! I love the freedom men feel at these places. The freedom to unwind, be themselves, and speak their minds. I I love the way a good hair cut makes me feel. Confident and put together. I love the nostalgia I feel while I’m there. Reminiscent of a different time when the world was smaller, things moved slower, and people cared about each other. I guess you could say I love everything about them.

A few shops I’ve visited, researched, and loved over the last 2 years...

Greasy Hands Barbershop - Florence, AL

The Commodore Tonsorial Parlor - Atlanta, GA

Scout’s Barbershop - Nashville, TN

Shed Barber & Supply - Austin, TX

Let’s hit pause here and rewind the tape a little (for those of you 18 and under reading this, ask your parents what rewind the tape means). In 2008, Shannon and I moved from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham and almost immediately began attending The Church at Brookhills. We knew after the first week the Lord was moving in this church and He was going to move within us as well if we got onboard. We joined the church, got plugged into a small group (more on that later), and began “doing life” with the faith family there. The pastor was a skinny, jeans wearing, shirt untucked, blonde guy who looked more like a fraternity brother we’d seen in Tuscaloosa than a pastor of a “mega church”. His name was David Platt and he would change my life forever.

I hope at some point on this blog to dive deeper into my own faith story, but for the purposes of this post, I’ll be succinct. Christ became my Savior at the age of 16, but there was very little spiritual growth until my early 20’s. That is, until we joined The Church at Brookhills. The Lord used this church, my small group, and David Platt to completely transform what I knew, or thought I knew, about surrendering my life to Christ.

Let me preach a second here.

Every day, I am made more and more aware of the “cultural Christianity” that surrounds me. Especially here in the deep south, asking someone if they’re a Christian is like asking them if they drink sweet tea. Well, yes of course. So many of our churches have preached the easiness of salvation and that all you have to do is “say this prayer, ask Jesus into your heart, and believe.” And that’s true. Sort of. The Bible is very clear that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). However, where I think many have dropped the ball is on the aftermath. I’ve “accepted” Christ. Now what? Pastor David now famously quoted this in one of his sermons during our time at Brookhills:

“Accept Him? Do we really think Jesus needs our acceptance? Don’t we need Him? Jesus is no longer one to be accepted or invited in but one who is infinitely worthy of our immediate and total surrender.”

Surrender? What does that mean? David would say “giving the Lord a blank check with your life.” My new beloved pastor, Jamey Pruett, calls it “putting your yes on the table.” I like both analogies, but what do they really mean? This is where I feel many of us have missed the mark. This point, this crucial element for salvation is not being explained and driven home through discipleship in many churches. If Christ is your Savior, the Bible says you are a new creation. The old is gone and the new has come (1 Corinthians 5:17). And this “new creation” now has a new responsibility. Jesus cannot only be a “personal Lord and Savior”, but rather He is a Savior to whom we must completely submit and surrender control of our lives. “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Or as we sing from the old Baptist Hymnal, “Wherever He leads, I’ll go.” And He asks us to do something very specific with that surrendering: make His name known among the nations. The Great Commission. Spread the Gospel. He’s not just your personal savior. He’s a savior worth living for. And if necessary, dying for.

At this point you may be asking yourself “what in the name of Paul Mitchell does this all have to do with barbershops?” If you’ve read this far, stay with me. I promise I’m getting there.

In 2010, Pastor David began preaching through a sermon series at Brookhills entitled “Radical”. He would also publish a New York Times best seller similarly themed and titled “Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream.” This series and book ruined me. For the better. Let me just give you a few quotes from the book and I think you’ll get the gist:

“Radical obedience to Christ is not easy. It’s not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than enough for us.”

“We are settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves.”

“But then I realized there is never going to be a day when I stand before God and He looks at me and says, ‘I wish you would have kept more for yourself.’ I’m confident that God will take care of me.”

I read this book back to back with another book from a teacher and author who has also had an enormous impact on my life: John Piper. His book was called “Don’t Waste Your Life”. Let me also give you a quote from this book that has both challenged me and haunted me all at the same time:

“Three weeks ago, we got word at our church that Ruby Eliason and Laura Edwards had both been killed in Cameroon. Ruby was over eighty. Single all her life, she poured it out for one great thing: to make Jesus Christ known among the unreached, the poor, and the sick. Laura was a widow, a medical doctor, pushing eighty years old, and serving at Ruby’s side in Cameroon.

The brakes give way, over the cliff they go, and they’re gone — killed instantly.

And I asked my people: was that a tragedy? Two lives, driven by one great vision, spent in unheralded service to the perishing poor for the glory of Jesus Christ — two decades after almost all their American counterparts have retired to throw their lives away on trifles in Florida or New Mexico. No. That is not a tragedy. That is a glory.

I tell you what a tragedy is. I’ll read to you from Reader’s Digest what a tragedy is. “Bob and Penny . . . took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their thirty foot trawler, playing softball and collecting shells.”

That’s a tragedy. And people today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. And I get forty minutes to plead with you: don’t buy it. With all my heart I plead with you: don’t buy that dream. The American Dream: a nice house, a nice car, a nice job, a nice family, a nice retirement, collecting shells as the last chapter before you stand before the Creator of the universe to give an account of what you did: “Here it is Lord — my shell collection! And I’ve got a nice swing, and look at my boat!”

Don’t waste your life; don’t waste it.”

I have spent countless hours and sleepless nights pondering that thought: How do I keep from wasting my life?

The Lord used my pastor, my small group, and these books to help me process and understand something I somehow had missed over the course of my “church kid” life. I was not saved from my sin to live a selfish, care free life filled with comforts, trivial pursuits, and “stuff”. I was saved because the Father loved me infinitely and perfectly. And He wanted to me share this good news, this Gospel: that He loved the world enough to send His only Son as a ransom for sinners. Plain and simple. That was my purpose in life. That was my purpose for being created. To make the name of Jesus known far and wide.

I’ve struggled over the years to know exactly what that’s supposed to look like. I’m a big believer in the Lord’s sovereignty and that He calls us to different jobs, different cities, different friends, etc for seasons where He expects us to do His work. But I’ve found myself questioning over the years, should I be doing more? If my life is truly being lived in complete submission to Christ, should I be working in vocational ministry? Should I go to seminary? Should I be on staff at a church? Should I work for a nonprofit ministry? Let me share with you what I believe the Lord has been teaching me through this season of questioning and searching.

The Lord certainly uses vocational ministers to do His work. They are “called”, gifted, and uniquely led by the Holy Spirit to spread the Gospel. But God also uses “regular people” to do His work. Vocational ministry is not the calling for every believer. The gospel of Jesus Christ is spread every day by doctors, policemen, receptionists, construction workers, school teachers, and business professionals. It’s part of the beauty of this Christian life. The Lord in His goodness equips and uses all of His children to advance the kingdom.

We’ve certainly taken the scenic route in this post, but we’re almost home.

The Lord has given me a vision for how I can serve Him and advance the Gospel in my community. Before you go and get Pentecostal on me, not that kind of vision. I was not struck with a blinding light, nor did I hear a voice from Heaven. Rather, He gave me comprehension. An understanding of who I am, what I’m passionate about, how He has gifted me, how He has equipped me, and how He wants me to use these things to serve Him:

I believe the Lord is calling me to open a business. Specifically, a barbershop.

I could write another lengthy post on how the Lord has affirmed this to me over the last several months and I certainly plan to dive deeper into that at another time. For now, I’ll give you just a couple of insights on how I’ve come to this conclusion:

1.) Me: Who am I? Who has the Lord created me to be? How has He gifted me? I can answer that in a few sentences. I have been created as an extremely relational person. Relationships and people matter to me. A lot. I thrive on being around other people. I “come to life” you might say. I need meaningful friendships and conversation. When I go through seasons where my relationships are strained or stale, it changes me. I am at my best – my truest self – when I am in the fellowship and community of people I love.

Additionally, the Lord has given me the spiritual gifts of mercy and hospitality. Mercy – the ability to empathize with others. To be a listening ear. To care for and about people. Hospitality – hosting others in your space and creating a welcoming environment. Opening your home (or place of business) to others and shepherding them.

Practically, I have nearly 15 years’ experience in customer service and managing businesses. I understand the logistics that factor into running a successful business. And I love it. The job just suits me. Engaging customers and employees in conversations, listening to them, helping them solve a problem: the basic job description embodies who I am.

2.) Community: Shannon and I moved to Arab for the purpose of living close to family and raising our children in the same kind of small town environment in which we were raised. The Lord had greater plans. We have fallen deeply in love with our church and our community. We feel like we belong here. And because we are certain this is where the Lord has planted us, I want to serve my community well. This business will be my base of operations from where I can invest in our community.

I heard a friend from college, Tim Milner, speak at a missions conference at our church last year. Tim is now a pastor in Huntsville and I though I can’t recall the entirety of his sermon, one point from his message spoke to me. Screamed at me might be a better way of putting it: As Christians, let’s not be so focused on reaching the Nations that we forget about our brothers and sisters down the street who need Christ. My Brookhills background had saturated me with an urgency for international missions, but the Lord spoke to me that night during Tim’s message and began softening my heart to the spiritual needs of the people of Arab. I love them and I want to create a business that attends to both their physical and spiritual needs.

This post has gone much longer than I intended and I fear I may already lost some future readers, but I wanted to thoroughly explain my vision and my heart as best I could. I promise I will try to be more concise with future posts. So let me wrap it up. The goal of this blog, for those of you who care to follow, is to create a space where you can come alongside me in this journey. I am confident that the Lord has set me on this path, but that doesn’t mean I have all the answers. I desperately covet your prayers and wisdom as I strive to be faithful and obedient in this. Here are a few specific areas I would ask for your prayers:

- Pray that the Lord would give me great wisdom as I explore the best avenue for barber training.

- Pray that the Lord’s timing would be clear and that all logistics would fall into place according to His plan, not mine.

- Pray the Lord would begin working in the heart of someone or multiple someones to serve alongside me in this venture.

- Pray that I would continue to pray and cling to Proverbs 19:1. “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”

- Pray that I would love my wife and children well and show them Jesus through this season of change.

- Pray that ultimately Christ would receive all the glory and His name be exalted in all of this.

Thankful for each of you. More to come soon…

Drew

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